THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says Western Province recorded only two parliamentary election petitions out of 26 constituencies following the August 13, 2026 General Election. ECZ Commissioner McDonald Chipenzi adds that Sioma District did not record any election petitions at either parliamentary or local government level, an indication that poll staff diligently performed their […]

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says Western Province recorded only two parliamentary election petitions out of 26 constituencies following the August 13, 2026 General Election.

ECZ Commissioner McDonald Chipenzi adds that Sioma District did not record any election petitions at either parliamentary or local government level, an indication that poll staff diligently performed their duties during the election.

Speaking during the training of poll staff ahead of the Mbeta Ward by-election, Saturday, Chipenzi commended election officials for their conduct during the August 13 General Election.

“The Commission is scheduled to conduct the local government election in Mbeta Ward in Sioma District, Western Province, on November 5, 2026, which is next Thursday. I take cognisance [of the fact] that many of you, if not all of you, served as poll staff during the recently conducted 2026 General Election. On behalf of the Commission, my chairperson and management, I wish to express our profound appreciation and sincere gratitude for your outstanding service, dedication and commitment to duty throughout the electoral process. From our information, the entire province has only two parliamentary petitions out of 26 constituencies. Is that not good work? Sioma has no petitions at either parliamentary or local government level, meaning that you did your job thoroughly well. So, we want to thank you most sincerely for the work you did. You know, in elections, even a small issue at a polling station can burn the whole district and the whole province, it can burn the whole country and a whole continent,” he said.

“Just that one mistake can cause problems, so you people have proved beyond doubt that you are men and women of valour. You are men and women of efficiency; you are men and women of integrity. So, the Commission is proud of you, and that’s why you have been re-engaged to manage the Mbeta Ward by-election again”.

Chipenzi stressed that the Commission attaches great importance to every election it conducts, including ward by-elections.

“The same appreciation and profound gratitude are extended to our District Electoral Trainers, whose dedication, expertise and commitment played an indispensable role in preparing you, the poll staff who managed the last election, to be very successful and to execute your duties during the general election with impartiality, integrity, passion and love. You could not have delivered what you delivered in the last general election if you had no passion for the work you were doing. To the Provincial Electoral Officer, you have been and continue to be the eyes and ears of an election in the province. You demonstrated commitment, integrity and dedication to this work, hence the province delivered credible elections during the 2026 General Election. This is why we only have two petitions in the entire province. It was because of your guidance and your advice to the DEOs. Otherwise, without you, perhaps we would have had many problems and challenges after the election,” said Chipenzi.

“The Commission attaches great importance to every election it conducts, including ward by-elections, regardless of their scale or geographical scope. It is for this reason that the Commission deemed it fit, necessary and appropriate to dedicate a member of the Commission to be present with you throughout this important process, so I’ll be with you for a while”.

According to the Commission, the Mbeta Ward by-election in Sioma District, Western Province, was necessitated by a nomination petition filed during the May 2026 nominations by an aspiring councillor who alleged that he was denied an opportunity to file his nomination papers within the stipulated time. The nomination was subsequently nullified.

The Mbeta Ward by-election is being contested by two candidates, namely Yuyi Situmbeko of the United Party for National Development (UPND) and independent candidate Mwanamwalye Mwanamwalye. The election is scheduled to take place on Thursday, November 5, 2026.